On October 4. 1957, a truly history-making event took place—the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite. Less than a month later it was followed by Sputnik If, its younger but much bigger brother.
The launching of the first sputnik was a great triumph of man over nature. Man had surmounted the physical barriers which have kept him out of cosmic space; he had overcome the force of gravity and the resistance of the atmosphere.
However, there still remained the biological barrier. Could a living organism endure the conditions of space beyond the Earth’s atmosphere?
The second sputnik furnished the answer to that question. This was the first step toward man’s travel in cosmic space.
This booklet is based on material published in the Soviet press in connection with the launchings of the sputniks.
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